Tare film on Channel 5 Extraordinary people and private viewing in London, UK

Published: 18 June 2013 (16492 Views)

London, United Kingdom - The Board of Trustees of Girl Child Network
Worldwide (GCNW) would like to thank RedRebel Films Limited and Channel
Five for working collaboratively to help Taremeredzwa Mapungwana to be
featured on Channel Five's Extraordinary People. Our goal as a charity
is to save lives so that one can share testimonies like this with the
rest of the world. The charity remains at frontline of providing
services, linking, networking and bringing resources to save lives of
girls whose lives are at risk. To date, the charity has assisted two
girls with similar conditions from Zimbabwe through another hospital in
Zambia with assistance of US Surgeons. Many times the lives of girls are
at risk of disease because they are too poor to afford hospital bills
of up to £1000 and overseas treatment.

In a statement while on
her royal duty in Nigeria, Her Royal Princess Deun Adodyin- Solarin who
is Chair of the Trustees and Global Spokesperson for the charity said,'
This is a story of a young woman whose bravery and strength we witnessed
since the day our Chief Executive Officer Betty Makoni overcame many
obstacles to bring her to UK as well as fundraise for her first two
successful operations since 2009. Today the world can see a young and
brave woman inspiring every other child that there is hope as long as
the world responds and helps out. Her story shows what people in the
global village can do to help some disadvantaged children starting from
an individual like Betty Makoni who opens her inbox and realises that a
child needs help and responds promptly up to the doctor who gives free
surgery like Professor Ian Hutchinson. It takes a village to raise a
child is what as GCNW we believe in.'

Tare first came to the
United Kingdom in September 2009 after a rural school head and her
students Mrs Nyoni in Manicaland, Zimbabwe as well as Taremeredzwa
Mapungwana`s brother Talent made an appeal through an email to Betty
Makoni who had relocated to UK with her family after living in
self-imposed exile in Botswana in 2008.

Betty
Makoni, Chief Executive Officer of Girl Child Network Worldwide
recently gave a short testimony via her Facebook and posted, ‘When I
received a call to help from Tare Mapungwana`s brother and Mrs Nyoni via
an inbox message written you are the last hope we have in the world to
save the life of our sister, I did not understand what those words
meant. I was still new in UK and yet there was a future Doctor with 8 As
at Ordinary Level whose life needed to be saved. I told myself I would
respond and pledge to support. Dreams come true and £20 000 was raised
to fund her two operations and costs went towards hospital bills (£480
per day, medication and accommodation was provided by our family and
Tare`s aunt. Film crews followed to take story but of course if this had
been followed by news people more UK public sympathy could have been
extended to her and to many girls from Zimbabwe who had same conditions.
Tare`s case resulted in a flood gate of requests from many girls in
similar situations but however due to limited financial resources we
managed to assist only two to date..'

Betty
Makoni who stayed with Tare Mapungwana for six months at her house
whilst she was in and out of hospital described her as brave, resilient,
intelligent, focused and mature young girl who loves peace, respects
her parents and is very prayerful.

‘I was so moved by her
thoughtfulness and even extending her ideas on how to help other girls I
talked to her about. I can't imagine any other person inspiring the
world with her story other than Tare', said Betty Makoni.

There
are many organisations and individuals whose support made it possible
for Tare to be in UK to get treatment and there are far too many to
mention here but Girl Child Network Worldwide thanks Air Zimbabwe for
flying Tare to UK for treatment. The first online paper to publish
plight of Tare and to draw public sympathy was NewZimbabwe. Com raising
over £10000 out of the whole amount of £20000. Award winning journalist
Lance Guma is sincerely thanked for his bravery in consistently sending
news that accurately informed public about use of her funds. Zimbabwe
News Network(ZBN), Visions FM, Zimonline Radio, Dandaro TV and Lady Dee2
and Simple Dread Gamu2 in the entertainment industry immensely helped
by raising awareness on Tare`s plight thereby raising more funds. CNN
whose announcement of Betty Makoni as a CNN Top Ten hero coincided with
this appeal helped to raise over US$10000 with a team of lawyers who
asked to remain anonymous as well as over US$5000 from US public. The
charity thanks Professor Ian Hutchinson and his charity Saving Faces for
free surgery to Tare and all cash and in kind donations. Throughout her
treatment his team stood with the greatest support ever.

Since
2004 Tare was fighting with a tumour, but after the two operations in
2009 & 2010 in the UK she is now on her road to recovery. She has
since returned to school to complete her "A" level studies. She resumed
her studies in April with a local private college, where she did well in
the progress tests. She later went back to her boarding school, St.
David's Bonda Mission where she wrote and passed her Maths, Biology and
Chemistry A level exams. In 2010 she returned back to UK for the second
time with private sponsors for a third operation and finally doctor did
some thorough tests and found out the cause of the tumour to be rare and
needing long term treatments and surgery. Part of highlighting this
film is to keep mobilising funds for Tare and ensure her long term
treatment and facial surgery reconstruction is done. New Seasons program
which works in partnership with Girl Child Network Worldwide are in
search of a scholarship in the US for her.

Below is sample
minimum quotation the Charity Girl Child Network Worldwide received and
paid for each of the operations. Please note this bill went up as stay
in hospital became more and payment for Tare's mum's accommodation and
food at the hospital is not included as the charity paid for that
separately. Those who wish to assist in the next operation please note
the rough estimate of the hospital outside free service offered by
Professor Hutchinson.

SPECIALTY: Oral & Maxillo Facial SurgeryDIAGNOSIS: Ossifying Fibroma of maxilla & MandibleTREATMENT AS INPATIENTACCOMODATION: 5 nights stay = @ £480 per night = £2,900PATHOLOGY: £530DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING: £500PHARMACY:OTHER: Blood Transfusions x 5 units = £890 Contingency = £1,000PROFESSIONAL FEES: Anaesthetist's fee £ 850ESTIMATED TOTAL: £8,000Private viewing of Film: Donors and supporters welcomeRed
Bulls Films Limited invites donors, media and friends to join private
viewing of the film on Tare, ‘My Face is eating me.' There is a social
drink or two thereafter and one can meet charities and film makers
involved in the work. Please come and enjoy a beautiful film and support
us on this very important night.Date: Monday 17th June 2013Guest speakers: Betty Makoni (GCNW) andTime: 6.30 pmVenue:
Deloitte, 2 New Street Square, 1st Floor Auditorium, London EC4A 3BZ.
Blackfriars, Chancery Lane, Farringdon, St Pauls, City Thameslink
StationEntrance fee: Free but Red Bulls Films will have a donation box on site to raise money for Tare's next operation.RSVP. And let us know you are coming so we can give your names to security at Deloitte.Tel Sam Chege on 07984191240Email:Magsgavan@hotmail.com and Samuel_chege@hotmail.comHelp girls and support the cause: www.girlchildnetworkworldwide.org